August 9th. “Working with the Sun. What better time than August to explore the power of the sun? We’ll be making solar prints, cooking snacks with heat from the sun, and learning how man and animals can adapt to and work with the heat of the sun. We will also explore the value of shade in our landscapes and hardscapes and explore other ways to cool off.” Foothills Learning Center, 3188 Sunset Peak Road (up 8th Street into foothills, past the end of the pavement), 514-3755. This event is part of their Second Saturdays series of free family-oriented programs on the 2nd Saturday of the month throughout the year. For more about the center, including a street map: http://www.cityofboise.org/Departments/Parks/ParksAndFacilities/Parks/page19817.aspx
August 23, 2008, Saturday. Idaho Botanical Garden presents Bug Day. 343-4464, www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.
August 26th, 2008, Tuesday. Film viewing and discussion of "White Light, Black Rain" at the Boise Public Library on Capitol Blvd. Doors open at 6:00 and the film starts at 6:30. Film description:
On August 6th and 9th, 1945, two atomic bombs vaporized 210,000 people in Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Those who survived are called "hibakusha"--people exposed to the bomb--and there are an estimated 200,000 living today. Today, with the threat of nuclear weapons of mass destruction frighteningly real- the world's arsenal capable of repeating the destruction at Hiroshima 400,000 times over, Oscar® award-winning filmmaker Steven Okazaki revisits the bombings and shares the stories of the only people to have survived a nuclear attack.
August 29, 2008. Deadline for entries in Boise’s “2008 Mayor’s Excellent in Design Awards Program.” The program “recognizes good urban design practices, environmental sensitivity and contributions to the city’s well-being. Anyone may nominate a development within Boise built between June 2005 and June 2008 that fits into one of eight categories. Winners are selected by the Boise City Excellence in Design Committee. For more information, contact Andrea Tuning at 384-3830. Download forms at www.cityofboise.org.” [Idaho Statesman, 4/4/08]
August 29, 30 & 31, 2008. City Harvest, Grove Plaza. Friday evening, Saturday all day, Sunday until 4pm. 433-5675.
September 13th. “Woolly Wisdom. Have you ever wondered why sheep suddenly appear in the Boise foothills for a few days in the Spring and Fall? Would you like to know where they are coming from and where they are going? Do you want to find out how dogs help protect sheep and keep them in line? You and your family are invited to learn the answers to these questions and get some ‘woolly wisdom’ about the Western tradition of sheep trailing at this fun family event at the Foothills Learning Center. You will have a chance to see sheep up close and personal, see them get sheared, and touch and see the beautiful handicrafts made from their wool. Kids can try their hands at spinning and dyeing wool and making felt. You will learn about the history of sheep grazing in the Boise foothills, how trailing is managed today, and steps you can take to prevent conflicts with sheep on trails. This is a second annual event sponsored again by the Idaho Rangeland Commission. Join us for a really fun day.” Foothills Learning Center, 3188 Sunset Peak Road (up 8th Street into foothills, past the end of the pavement), 514-3755. This event is part of their Second Saturdays series of free family-oriented programs on the 2nd Saturday of the month throughout the year. For more about the center, including a street map: http://www.cityofboise.org/Departments/Parks/ParksAndFacilities/Parks/page19817.aspx
September 21, Sunday. Idaho Botanical Garden presents Mad Hatter’s Tea Party & Pic-A-Dilly Market. 343-4464, www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.
September 28, Sunday. Idaho Botanical Garden presents Touch the Earth Concert. 343-4464, www.idahobotanicalgarden.org.
October 24th and 25th, 8:00am-5:00pm. Sun Valley Sustainability Conference
The Sun Valley Sustainability Conference will feature two days of speakers and panels addressing green building, renewable energy and smart growth. A third day will be a public day with panels on building green, greening your business, and a tour of homes and businesses. In addition there will be a variety of professional workshops, an exhibit hall with over 60 booths, and a film festival. www.sunvalleysustainability.org.
November 12, 2008, 7:30pm. Michael Pollan speaks as part of Readings & Conversations, The Cabin's annual series presenting nationally-acclaimed literary figures. At the historic Egyptian Theatre, 700 West Main Street in downtown Boise. Cabin members receive priority reservations and seating during the early bird reservation period. Same-seat requests are due by May 15. Early bird ends June 15. Single tickets for each guest go on sale at least two weeks prior to the scheduled event. Visit http://www.thecabinidaho.org/whatwedo/readings-and-conversations.htm for the rest of the speakers in the 2008/2009 series.
Michael Pollan writes about the places where the human and natural worlds intersect: food, gardens, agriculture, drugs, and architecture. In 2006, The New York Times selected Mr. Pollan's The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, as one of the five best books of the year. Mr. Pollan's latest book, In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto, was released in early 2008 to popular and critical acclaim. His other books are no less groundbreaking: Second Nature and The Botany of Desire. Take note, Idaho: Mr. Pollan once wrote, "Without the potato, the balance of European power might never have tilted north." A former editor of Harper's Magazine and a frequent contributor to The New York Times Magazine, he is a Professor of Journalism at the University of California, Berkeley.
November 13, 2008 Idaho Smart Growth’s fourth annual Grow Smart Awards. www.idahosmartgrowth.org